Orphans

Before reading this book, I could never understand why orphans were given so much attention before and after adoption. I always thought that after adoption, kids were happy because of how dedicated their new parents must be. Before adoption, orphans have their basic needs met and lots of friends to relate to based on their family status. Now that I have read this inspiring book, I know that this is not the case. Each of these four innocent kids have a story before they ended up in the orphanage, what happened when they were adopted and how they really only bonded after they ended up in the group home. It shocks me that potential parents could have such a deep self-fulfilling proficy for an innocent, beautiful child they haven't even met yet. Some times accidents happen, but they should never happen on purpose.

The Orphans book is a compliation of 4 individual novels revolving around 4 very unique young women. Their struggle to survive in an uncaring system and how they find each other. All of these stories are very typical VC Andrews style. Strong & opinionated women, who have had a tough life. Just when things start to look towards a promising future there is tragedy or disaster. This is a great book to pickup and read if you only have a few minutes to spare. The stories are not long or complicated so you will not loose your place.

Butterfly
The only life that 12 year old Janet has ever known is being in an orphanage. Small for her age and timid, nicknamed Butterfly, she has given up hopes of ever finding parents to adopt and love her. However she dares to dream that the beautiful couple Mr Sanford & Celine Delorice will be the family she always wanted. Sanford is well known and respected in the community and makes the arrangements for Janet to be taken from the orpanage the same day. Celine, once a famous ballerina, is in a wheelchair and wants Janet to start dance lessons immediately. Janet works hard to please her new parents and starts to believe that she can be the ballerina that Celine wants her to become. Just when Janets starts to settle into her new routine things start going horribly wrong!

Crystal
Crystal is an intelligent young woman with high hopes for college & carrer. However Crystal is also a ward of the state and will need to rely on scolarship & grants to achieve her goals. Until she is adopted by a loving couple who want everything for her that she also wants. Her new mom, Thelma, is a soap-opera junkie and wants Crystal to be as enthousased as she is about the shows. This is strange to Crystal as Thelma seems to believe these are real people. Her new dad, Karl, is overjoyed that he can have intellectual discussions with Crystal, who believes this is what is missing in their marriage. Crystal makes friends with a boy at school called Bernie. They quickly discover that they are both among the smartest in the school and grow closer. Just when Crystals world starts to look normal, with great parents and a boyfriend, disaster strikes.

Brooke
Sports are Brookes thing. She loves them, excells at them. The Coach at her new private school is overjoyed that there is now a 'richkid' who can actually play ball for the school team. Brookes adoptive mom is less that happy that she plays sports, living with the believe that sports build muscles that make you look manly. She wants Brooke to learn how to be a woman, to be a beauty queen, model and find a rich husband. She forces Brook to do photoshoots and enter pagents. Will Brooke do what she needs to please her new mom or will she follow her heart and play ball?

Raven
Raven hasn't had an easy life. Her single mom is an alcoholic and sometimes drug user. Raven is home alone mostly and takes care of the rundown appartment they live in. She skips school because no one is there to tell her she has to go. When her mom is arrested, Raven is sent to live with her mom's brother, Reuban. An overbearing bully in his own home, his wife and children are terrified of him and his temper. Very set in his ways, he believes Raven is a bad apple, just like her mother. He treats her like dirt and blames her for all of his familys problems. Meanwhile Ravens cousin Jennifer is spreading rumours at school and being the typical ugly step-sister. Raven's outspoken opinions are not received by her uncle and he punishes her with extra chores and restrictions. At a party one night Jennifer gets drunk and blames Raven for her being sick, even though it was Raven who was the responsible one and got Jennifer home safely. Reuban cannot see his little girl doing any wrong and decides that they only way Raven will understand is if he handles her wild ways in the same way he handled her moms, physically. Raven now needs to survive in a different kind of hell than she did before.

I loved this book.
V.C Andrews has the best detailing in her writings that I have come to like so much.
This novel gives you the presective of what could happen to one from an oprhanage.
You'd never think of this happening to anyone in this situation -but these girls make the best out of every situation.
For that - I give V.C. Andrews a BIG 110%.
I just love her.